Passed unanimously at the December 21 meeting of the Troy Area Labor Council AFL-CIO

By Nightwalker

Whereas: The Transit Workers of TWU 100 are on strike to defend their rights and dignity as workers in New York City.

Whereas: The Metropolitan Transit Authority currently has a billion dollar surplus and the State of New York is also running a budget surplus.

Whereas: The Metropolitan Transit Authority is headed by multi-millionaire real estate developer Peter Kalikow as part of a reactionary clique of anti-worker politicians which include NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and NY State Governor George Pataki.

Whereas: Rather than using this surplus to negotiate a just settlement with TWU Local 100 the MTA demands concessions from the transit workers.

Whereas: The Right to Strike is a fundamental human right without which all other rights of workers become meaningless.

Whereas: This Anti-Worker Clique is using every anti-labor law on the books, including the threat of arresting union leaders, to intimidate the transit workers into accepting concessions.

Whereas: All the anti-labor and anti-working class forces have come out of the woodwork in a crusade to crush this union and to set the stage for an all out assault on the workers of New York City, New York State and the rest of the United States.

Therefore: The Troy Area Labor Council of the AFL-CIO calls on the New York State AFL-CIO to organize a General Strike of all New York State Union Workers to bring these Anti-Worker politicians to their senses and to obtain a just settlement of the Transit Worker Strike.

Passed unanimously at the December 21 meeting of the Troy Area Labor Council AFL-CIO

Some years ago the people of Troy erected a memorial to James Connolly. Connolly had lived there for a few years early in the 20th century. Connolly was a member of the Industrial Workers of the World, the Wobblies, and his ideas on industrial unionism played a key part in the formation of the Transport Workers Union in New York City. Back in Ireland Connolly formed Europe's first red army, the Irish Citizen Army, and led an insurrection against the British imperial state. Badly wounded he was strapped to a chair by the English and murdered. His ideas, through TWU founder Mike Quill, were instrumental in the formation of the TWU. In that great radical tradition the TWU today fights the age-old fight for dignity, justice and respect for the working class. Billionaire Bloomberg, and millionaire real-estate mogul, Kalikow, are demonizing these workers, calling them thugs. But the workers are receiving solidarity from other unions including the police, firefighters, teachers and teamsters. There is a worldwide war on the living standards of workers. Bloomberg, Pataki, and Kalikow are clearly on the side of the rich, the privileged and the powerful. The workers can win if unity and solidarity holds. The current strike is critical. The Troy Labor Council, and the TWU, represent the interests of working people everywhere.

The New York Mayor needs to sit down with Transport Workers Union and work out a real agreement that is acceptable to all parties. His current scare tactics of heavy fines to the union with millions of dollars, firing them, trying to bust them or threats of jail time will not resolve this issue. Reagan busted the PATCO strikers back in 1981 ...and all it did was cost the taxpayers trillions of dollars and nothing was ever resolved or anything fixed. The FAA is still operating in a time warp on labor affairs, and management does not understand or care about the workers.

Learn from history....management needs to start thinking about the worker for a change. Don’t fire the solution, and keep the problems.

Negotiate....don’t threaten !

Ron Taylor President PATCO

Ron, I hope you come back to read this, because I have a question for you

Dec 22, 2005 12:47PM EST

Nightwalker

I've heard several observers comment, and have toyed with the idea myself, that a TWU victory over the MTA would go a long way towards reversing the negative legacy of Reagan's assault on PATCO. After all, the last Local 100 strike was in 1980, and the current strike is arguably the most significant industrial action in the United States since your historic stand the following year. What's your take on that?

"I've heard several observers comment, and have toyed with the idea myself, that a TWU victory over the MTA would go a long way towards reversing the negative legacy of Reagan's assault on PATCO. After all, the last Local 100 strike was in 1980, and the current strike is arguably the most significant industrial action in the United States since your historic stand the following year. What's your take on that?"

Reagan set the new management labor policy/standard when he busted the PATCO strikers back in 81. His message was heard loud and clear by both the public and private sector employers that they also could and should do the same when the time arrives...and they have in many cases. If resistance was made, lock the doors and bring in the Scabs....do whatever it takes, just make it happen no matter what the cost.

My opinion and observation from watching the TWU strike is that history is in the making and that if successful, “Reagan’s Legacy” is heading for the trash can where it belongs.

Ron Taylor President PATCO

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